Conventionally, a plurality of small sized articles, to be handled, such as PET bottles, cans, cigarettes, pencils, and filled parts have been often distributed with a desired carton containing them or various kinds of electric equipment or the like have been often distributed with a package box using corrugated cardboard containing them. Such a carton or a package box is made by performing the taking of measurements on carton material or box material with a predetermined size, creating a development of the container, cutting notches into predetermined portions of the developed container and erecting the container by making mountain or valley fold on the carton or box material.
In accordance with such a container, a packing case for supplement of goods and a method of supplementing the goods for a vending machine using the same have been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei05-04640. According to this packing case, the goods are contained in the container so that they are aligned in a longitudinal direction thereof. In the container, the goods are bound by a band for fixing the goods. The band is fixed into the container at forward and rearward ends thereof. The container is set onto the vending machine with a forward end thereof being positioned at a downward direction. It is constituted that after setting, a perforated portion is separated so that the forward end is opened and then, the band for fixing the goods is disengaged. By taking such a container configuration, it is capable of filling the goods into a desired position in the vending machine in the moment the band for fixing the goods is disengaged.
Further, a package box has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-02057. This package box has an outer container with a predetermined size and a triangular opening in an outer container configuration surface. On the other hand, an inner container is provided within the outer container. The inner container uses corrugated cardboard vertically. A lid-constituting portion is provided so as to extend from side surfaces of the outer container to an upper surface thereof continuously and is closed by a string on a predetermined position on the upper surface of the outer container. In this package box, it is configured that a stripe pattern of the corrugated cardboard of the inner container is exposed from the triangular opening. By configuring such a container, it is possible to present a package box that has strength vertically and is rich in a sense of high quality.
Further, a package with a dispenser has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53555. In accordance with this package, a container having the dispenser at its forward end portion is provided. In the dispenser, a separation part is defined by cutting container-constituting portion that is constituted of side walls, an upper surface and a bottom surface of the forward end portion of the package into one with a predetermined size. An opening is obtained by folding a part by which a side of this separation part is common in the container-constituting portion and pulling out the separation part to a side of the container-constituting portion. It is constituted that when such an opened package is held so that its posture is directed to a vertical direction, the opening is positioned at a low position. The opening has such a size that allows a predetermined article contained in the package to be removed therefrom.
By taking such a container configuration, it is capable of easily removing the articles one by one from the package without any complicated works, thereby enabling workability to be improved.
An opening assist for a dispensing carton has been also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53584. In accordance with this dispensing carton, a container having the dispenser at its forward end portion is provided. In the dispenser, a displaceable portion is defined by cutting carton-constituting portion that is constituted of side walls, an upper surface and a bottom surface of the forward end portion of the container-constituting portion into one with a predetermined size. An opening is obtained by folding a part by which a side of this displaceable portion is common in the carton-constituting portion and tearing up the displaceable portion to this side. It is constituted that when such an opened package is held so that its posture is directed to a horizontal direction, the opening is positioned at an upper position. It is constituted that the opening has such a size that allows a predetermined article contained in the carton to be removed therefrom. By taking such a configuration, it is capable of dispensing the article from the carton without tearing up the carton main body.
According to the conventional containers each having the opening, however, there are problems as follows.
(i) As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei05-04640, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-02057, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53555 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53584, the dispenser is formed by cutting the container-constituting portion that is constituted of side walls, an upper surface and a bottom surface of the forward end portion of the container-constituting surfaces into one with a predetermined size. Accordingly, if the container is installed into a vending machine, a binding machine or an automatic machine such as various kinds of power tools and the articles contained therein is provided (supplied) but a loading space is blocked in three directions when it has a dispenser configuration like ones disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei05-04640, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-02057, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53555 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53584, there is such a problem that any workability is deteriorated because an operator's hand does not reach the right and left side surfaces and a rear surface of the loading space.
(ii) Particularly, if a plurality of small articles each having a complicated shape are loaded onto the automatic machine or the like when the container with the dispenser disclosed in any of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei05-04640, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-02057, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53555 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-53584 is applied from a point of view such that conveyance (delivery) of the articles and loading operation are compatible, there is such any possibility that loading operation thereof becomes difficult or complicated.
(iii) If the consumables are stacked in a container calling, for example, the refill and they are loaded from the refill into a cartridge of the binding system when the consumables are loaded from inside of the refill into the cartridge by free fall thereof, it is confirmed that any consumables may be inclined on the way for falling so that they are caught because it is impossible to control a posture of the falling consumable. Accordingly, a case may occur where they cannot be properly staked in the cartridge so that any poor separation of the consumables is generated.
(iv) By the way, it is conceivable how to tie up the stacked consumables with a string to keep the stacked condition thereof and cut the string after they are loaded onto the cartridge. When, however, adopting this method, there is such a problem that a predetermined shape thereof may be not kept if a shock or the like is applied to the stacked consumables from outside. Accordingly, under the existing circumstances, both problems of keeping a box shape and avoiding the free falling of the consumables cannot be solved.